Rory McIlroy sank an unreal putt for birdie the eighth hole as he surged clear on the final day of the Dubai Desert Classic.
It wasn't a great start to the hole for the Northern Irishman, as he found the fairway off the tee. On his third shot, he found himself about 30 feet from the flag but managed to carve out a birdie with a sensational bending putt.
The Sky Sports commentary team were stunned, as were those in attendance, as McIlroy ensured he had a two-shot lead heading into the ninth, before he got another birdie to finish off the front nine.
At the time of writing, McIlroy leads the field ahead of Cameron Young in second and now looks well-placed to win the Dubai Desert Classic for the fourth time in his career.
On Saturday, he hit a stunning 63, including a filthy eagle putt on 18. In all, McIlroy notched up seven birdies throughout the day, as he took advantage of a faltering afternoon from debutant Young.
.@McIlroyRory birdies the 8th to move two shots clear at the top!#DubaiDesertClassic | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/saOqHmMr48
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) January 21, 2024
Rory McIlroy sinks sensational birdie
"It would be amazing,” he told reporters on the prospect of victory, after his Saturday round. “First player to get my name on it four times would be awesome.
“I’ve had so much success in Dubai, whether it be at this tournament or at Jumeirah Golf Estates and Race to Dubai. It’s been a really, really good place to me. I love coming back here.
"It’s a combination of the course and the way the course is set up. If you play very, very well, it enables you to go low. But if you are just slightly off, you can feel you have played well but shoot the scores I did on the first two days, 71-70.
"But when you are behind, having a course set up like this where the misses are penal and the greens are firm, it gives guys a chance from the pack to shoot a good score.”
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